Spanish Officials Imputed for AI-Enabled Espionage Using Pegasus and Candiru

Thumbnail Image

The information displayed in the AIM should not be reported as representing the official views of the OECD or of its member countries.

A Spanish judge has imputed two former directors of the Guardia Civil and the ex-director of the CNI, along with executives from NSO Group and Saito Tech, for alleged illegal surveillance of Catalan independence figures using AI-enabled spyware Pegasus and Candiru, resulting in privacy violations and ongoing legal proceedings in Barcelona.[AI generated]

Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?

The spyware software mentioned (Pegasus and Candiru) are AI-enabled systems used for unauthorized surveillance, which directly infringes on human rights and privacy. The event describes actual harm through illegal access to personal data and surveillance, leading to legal charges. Therefore, this qualifies as an AI Incident due to violations of rights caused by the use of AI systems in espionage.[AI generated]
AI principles
Privacy & data governanceRespect of human rights

Industries
Government, security, and defenceDigital security

Affected stakeholders
Civil society

Harm types
Human or fundamental rights

Severity
AI incident

Business function:
ICT management and information security

AI system task:
Other


Articles about this incident or hazard

Thumbnail Image

Imputan por primera vez a dos ex directores de la Guardia Civil por el 'caso Pegasus' de espionaje al entorno independentista

2026-02-09
EL MUNDO
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The spyware software mentioned (Pegasus and Candiru) are AI-enabled systems used for unauthorized surveillance, which directly infringes on human rights and privacy. The event describes actual harm through illegal access to personal data and surveillance, leading to legal charges. Therefore, this qualifies as an AI Incident due to violations of rights caused by the use of AI systems in espionage.
Thumbnail Image

Imputados por primera vez dos exdirectores de la Guardia Civil por espiar con Pegasus al independentismo

2026-02-09
El Confidencial
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The spyware Pegasus and Candiru are AI systems used for surveillance and espionage. The article reports that former officials and company executives are being investigated for illegal spying activities using these AI systems, which directly implicates violations of human rights and privacy. Since the spying has already occurred and legal action is underway, this is a realized harm caused by the use of AI systems, qualifying it as an AI Incident rather than a hazard or complementary information.
Thumbnail Image

Imputados por primera vez dos exdirectores de la Guardia Civil por presunto espionaje con Pegasus a empresarios

2026-02-09
RTVE.es
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The spyware software Pegasus and Candiru are AI systems designed to infiltrate devices and extract sensitive information using advanced AI capabilities. Their use in this case directly led to violations of privacy and illegal surveillance, which constitute breaches of fundamental rights under applicable law. The event involves the use and misuse of AI systems causing realized harm to individuals and their businesses. Therefore, this qualifies as an AI Incident under the OECD framework.
Thumbnail Image

La justicia imputa por primera vez a la Guardia Civil por espionaje ilegal a catalanes con Pegasus y Candiru - ElNacional.cat

2026-02-09
ElNacional.cat
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
Pegasus and Candiru are AI-enabled spyware systems used for illegal surveillance, which constitutes a violation of human rights and privacy. The judicial imputations indicate that harm has already occurred due to the use of these AI systems. The event clearly involves the use and misuse of AI systems leading to harm, fitting the definition of an AI Incident. The involvement of AI systems in illegal espionage and the resulting legal actions confirm the direct link to harm.
Thumbnail Image

Una jueza de Barcelona imputa a ex altos cargos del CNI y la Guardia Civil por el espionaje con Pegasus y Candiru

2026-02-09
El Periódico
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
Pegasus and Candiru are sophisticated spyware tools that incorporate AI or advanced algorithmic capabilities to conduct unauthorized surveillance and hacking. The legal charges stem from their use in illegal espionage activities targeting individuals, which directly violates fundamental rights and legal protections. The involvement of AI-enabled spyware causing actual harm through illegal access and privacy violations meets the criteria for an AI Incident as the harm has occurred and is directly linked to the AI systems' use.
Thumbnail Image

Imputan por primera vez a dos exdirectores de la Guardia Civil por el 'caso Pegasus'

2026-02-09
El HuffPost
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The spyware software Pegasus and Candiru are AI systems used for espionage, involving advanced data extraction and remote control capabilities. The event describes actual harm caused by their use, including unauthorized surveillance and privacy violations, which are breaches of fundamental rights. The legal imputations and investigations confirm that harm has occurred. Hence, this is an AI Incident due to the direct involvement of AI systems causing violations of rights and harm to individuals.
Thumbnail Image

Imputados dos exdirectores de la Guardia Civil y la exdirectora del CNI por el supuesto espionaje con pegasus

2026-02-09
Libertad Digital
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The spyware Pegasus and Candiru are AI systems designed for surveillance and espionage, involving complex data processing and AI techniques. Their use has directly led to alleged illegal spying on individuals, which is a violation of fundamental rights and privacy, fitting the definition of harm (c) under AI Incident. The imputations and legal investigations confirm that harm has occurred due to the use of these AI systems. Hence, this is an AI Incident rather than a hazard or complementary information.
Thumbnail Image

Imputados por primera vez dos exdirectores de la Guardia Civil por el 'caso Pegasus'

2026-02-09
Cadena SER
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
Pegasus and Candiru are sophisticated AI-powered spyware systems used for surveillance. Their use in spying on individuals without consent constitutes a violation of human rights and legal protections against unauthorized access to information. The event describes ongoing legal actions due to these harms, confirming that the AI systems' use has directly led to violations of rights. Therefore, this qualifies as an AI Incident under the framework, as the AI system's use caused direct harm through illegal surveillance and breach of privacy rights.
Thumbnail Image

Imputados por primera vez dos exdirectores de la Guardia Civil por el 'caso Pegasus'

2026-02-09
HERALDO
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The spyware Pegasus and Candiru are AI systems designed for covert surveillance and data extraction, which directly led to harm by violating the privacy and rights of the affected individuals. The article details ongoing legal investigations and imputations related to the use of these AI systems for illegal espionage, confirming that harm has materialized. Hence, this event meets the criteria for an AI Incident as the AI system's use has directly led to violations of fundamental rights.
Thumbnail Image

Imputados por primera vez dos exdirectores de la Guardia Civil por el 'caso Pegasus'

2026-02-09
Antena3
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The spyware software Pegasus and Candiru are AI systems designed for covert surveillance and data extraction from mobile devices. Their alleged illegal use by state actors to spy on civilians constitutes a violation of human rights and privacy laws. The event describes realized harm through unauthorized espionage, making it an AI Incident. The involvement of AI-enabled spyware in causing direct harm to individuals' rights and privacy justifies classification as an AI Incident rather than a hazard or complementary information.
Thumbnail Image

Imputados dos exdirectores de la Guardia Civil con Marlaska por el espionaje al independentismo catalán | La Verdad

2026-02-09
LA VERDAD
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The spyware tools Pegasus and Candiru are AI-enabled systems designed for digital espionage, and their use here has directly caused harm through illegal surveillance and privacy violations. The involvement of these AI systems in unauthorized access to communications and data breaches constitutes a breach of fundamental rights and legal protections. The judicial proceedings and formal imputations confirm that harm has materialized due to the AI systems' use, qualifying this event as an AI Incident under the framework.
Thumbnail Image

Imputados por primera vez dos exdirectores de la Guardia Civil por el 'caso Pegasus'

2026-02-09
Deia
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
Pegasus and Candiru are sophisticated AI-powered spyware tools used for unauthorized access to private communications, constituting violations of fundamental rights such as privacy and potentially other human rights. The event describes ongoing legal actions against individuals responsible for deploying these AI systems in harmful ways. Since the AI systems' use has directly led to violations of rights and legal breaches, this qualifies as an AI Incident under the framework.
Thumbnail Image

Imputados dos exdirectores de la Guardia Civil y la exdirectora del CNI por el 'caso Pegasus' | Diario Sur

2026-02-09
Sur
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The spyware programs Pegasus and Candiru are AI systems used for surveillance and espionage, which have been allegedly employed to spy on individuals, constituting a violation of human rights and privacy. The legal imputations against officials and company executives indicate that harm has occurred due to the use of these AI systems. Therefore, this event qualifies as an AI Incident due to the direct involvement of AI systems in causing harm through unlawful surveillance.
Thumbnail Image

Imputados por primera vez dos exdirectores de la Guardia Civil por el 'caso Pegasus'

2026-02-09
OndaCero
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The spyware Pegasus and Candiru are AI systems designed for covert surveillance and data extraction, which have been used to spy on individuals without consent. This use directly leads to violations of human rights, specifically privacy rights, fulfilling the criteria for harm under the AI Incident definition. The article describes actual harm through unauthorized access and surveillance, not just potential harm, and involves the use and misuse of AI systems. Hence, the event is classified as an AI Incident.
Thumbnail Image

Una jueza de Barcelona imputa a ex altos cargos del CNI y la Guardia Civil por el espionaje con Pegasus y Candiru

2026-02-09
El Periódico Mediterráneo
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The spyware systems Pegasus and Candiru are AI-enabled tools used for espionage, involving sophisticated data extraction and remote activation capabilities. The event details actual harm caused by these AI systems, including illegal surveillance, privacy violations, and reputational damage to individuals and companies. The judicial investigation and formal charges against officials and company executives confirm the direct involvement of AI systems in causing these harms. Hence, this is an AI Incident as the AI systems' use directly led to violations of rights and harm to individuals and communities.
Thumbnail Image

Una jueza de Barcelona imputa a ex altos cargos del CNI y la Guardia Civil por el espionaje con Pegasus y Candiru

2026-02-09
Diario de Mallorca
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
Pegasus and Candiru spyware are AI-enabled systems used for espionage, which implicates AI system involvement. The event describes legal action (indictments) against individuals and companies for espionage activities involving these AI systems, indicating harm in the form of human rights violations. The involvement of AI in the development and use of these spyware tools directly relates to the harms alleged. Hence, this is an AI Incident due to the realized harm (human rights violations) linked to AI system use.
Thumbnail Image

Imputados por primera vez dos exdirectores de la Guardia Civil por el caso Pegasus

2026-02-09
El Progreso de Lugo
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The spyware Pegasus and Candiru are AI systems designed for covert surveillance and data extraction, which fits the definition of AI systems. Their use in unauthorized espionage on individuals, as alleged, directly leads to violations of privacy and human rights, fulfilling the criteria for an AI Incident. The involvement of former directors and company executives in the case further confirms the AI system's role in causing harm. The event describes realized harm rather than potential harm, so it is not an AI Hazard. It is not merely complementary information or unrelated news, as the core issue is the harm caused by the AI systems' use.
Thumbnail Image

Una jueza de Barcelona imputa a María Gamez y otros ex altos cargos de la Guardia Civil y el CNI por el espionaje con Pegasus y Candiru

2026-02-09
La Opinión de Málaga
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The spyware Pegasus and Candiru are AI systems designed to infiltrate devices, extract sensitive data, and activate microphones and cameras remotely. Their use in this case has directly led to violations of privacy and illegal surveillance, which are breaches of fundamental rights. The article details ongoing investigations and formal imputations related to these harms. The AI systems' involvement is explicit and central to the harm caused. Hence, this event meets the criteria for an AI Incident as it involves realized harm (violation of rights and illegal access) directly linked to the use of AI systems.
Thumbnail Image

Imputados por primera vez dos exdirectores de la Guardia Civil por el 'caso Pegasus'

2026-02-09
naiz:
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The spyware software Pegasus and Candiru are AI systems designed for surveillance and data extraction. Their use in unauthorized spying constitutes a violation of human rights and illegal access to information, which fits the definition of an AI Incident. The event describes actual harm caused by the AI systems' use, including privacy violations and illegal surveillance, with ongoing legal proceedings. Therefore, this is classified as an AI Incident.
Thumbnail Image

Imputados por primera vez dos exdirectores de la Guardia Civil por el 'caso Pegasus' - EFE

2026-02-09
Agencia EFE
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The spyware software Pegasus and Candiru are AI-enabled or algorithmically advanced systems used for espionage. Their use in illegal surveillance and hacking directly violates human rights and legal protections, fulfilling the criteria for an AI Incident. The imputations and legal actions confirm that harm has occurred due to the use of these AI systems. Hence, this event is classified as an AI Incident.
Thumbnail Image

Imputan a dos exdirectores de la Guardia Civil por el 'caso Pegasus'

2026-02-09
El Día de Valladolid
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
Pegasus and Candiru are sophisticated AI-enabled spyware systems used for unauthorized surveillance, which constitutes a violation of fundamental rights and legal protections. The imputations and investigations are directly linked to the use and misuse of these AI systems causing harm to individuals' privacy and rights. Hence, this qualifies as an AI Incident under the framework, as the AI systems' use has directly led to violations of human rights and legal obligations.
Thumbnail Image

Una jueza imputa por primera vez a exdirectores de la Guardia Civil por el espionaje con Pegasus y Candiru

2026-02-09
Estrella Digital
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The spyware programs Pegasus and Candiru are AI systems used for surveillance and hacking, which have been allegedly used to spy on individuals unlawfully. This constitutes a violation of human rights and legal protections related to privacy and secrecy of communications. The event describes ongoing legal investigations and imputations based on the use of these AI systems that have directly led to harm (privacy violations). Therefore, this qualifies as an AI Incident due to the realized harm caused by the AI systems' use in espionage.
Thumbnail Image

Imputada la malagueña María Gámez, exdirectora de la Guardia Civil, por presunto espionaje con Pegasus

2026-02-09
101TV
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
Pegasus is an AI-enabled spyware system capable of sophisticated surveillance and data extraction. The article describes alleged illegal espionage activities using Pegasus and Candiru spyware, which directly violate individuals' rights to privacy and potentially other human rights. The spyware's use has led to harm through unauthorized access and surveillance, fulfilling the criteria for an AI Incident due to violations of human rights and breach of legal protections. The involvement of AI systems in causing these harms is explicit and central to the event.
Thumbnail Image

Los juicios al espionaje del 'caso Pegasus' chocan con la Ley de Secretos Oficiales

2026-02-13
EL PAÍS
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
Pegasus is a sophisticated AI-enabled spyware system that uses advanced techniques to infect and surveil targets. Its deployment by the intelligence agency has directly caused harm through violations of privacy and potentially other human rights, as evidenced by the judicial investigations and multiple victims. The spyware's role is pivotal in the harm caused. The article documents realized harm, not just potential risk, and involves an AI system's use leading to violations of rights and legal protections. Hence, this is an AI Incident under the OECD framework.